


Love is a Battlefield

by Rinari7



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 04:28:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10454958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinari7/pseuds/Rinari7
Summary: Abby watches them advance and retreat in this little dance they do.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flootzavut](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/gifts).



Abby watches them advance and retreat in this little dance they do, holding her breath, hoping that this round will be _the one_.

Kate, the doe-eyed seductress, eager to explore, tentatively, if given the chance. Gibbs, the unwilling participant, eager to be anywhere else, building walls that somehow always collapse again.  
  
Of course they’re both unaware of it all, but Abby can see it, clear as day, as she decides to hover in the shadows by the elevator, reports in hand, for just a few moments more.  
  
Kate pulls her hair tie off her ponytail, runs a brush through the strands, smoothing it down afterwards. She’s a vision in a light burgundy dress that dips down teasingly while remaining more than modest, the silver links of a charm bracelet adorning her wrist.  
At least, she’s a vision for Gibbs, who can’t keep from running his eyes over her when he thinks she isn’t looking. Though he tries, tries so hard not to; Abby can see it in the clench of his jaw.  
  
Kate is going to dinner with a relative of one of their suspects, someone who might give them some insight into his personality and activities. Everyone involved knows this isn’t a date, but it was plain the guy wished it were, and Kate is going to flatter him with the illusion it could be.  
  
It wasn’t Gibbs’ idea, and his displeasure had been engraved on his face, echoing in his voice the entire day.  
He won’t say a thing, of course. She’s independent, and it serves the case, and if he said anything he’d have to admit to himself that this bothers him.  
He wants no ruler on the throne in his heart, so Kate remains its unacknowledged queen.  
  
He has exiled her to a pedestal elsewhere, his gifted protégé, his young mentee, the one he hopes will succeed him in leading the team, eventually; Abby can read that in his eyes, too, sometimes, when Kate makes a particularly brilliant deduction and Gibbs doesn’t seem surprised at all.  
  
“Do you want to meet up afterwards? Discuss what he tells me? Maybe with some coffee to stay awake?” Kate picks up her purse and folds the red blouse and khaki slacks she wore to work this morning. Her tone is nonchalant but her body tells a different story, straight and slightly tense, her gaze glued to her boss. _Give me the illusion, please…_  
  
Gibbs’ eyes widen, for a split second, as Kate moves on that metaphorical pedestal, tries to climb down, to reach him, as she offers to show him those facets of herself Abby is sure he’s dying to see, to show him that she is not just an agent but _very much_ a woman.  
He takes a moment to answer, takes a deep breath, his tone low and curt when he finally responds. “Just make notes and tell us in the morning when everyone’s here.”  
  
And he turns away and tightens the manacles keeping her where she is, locked away, unreachable for him. Kate’s shoulders slump ever-so-slightly as she watches him retreat, and she takes a small step back, likewise surrendering the now-empty battlefield.

Not this time, then.  
Abby sighs and steps forward. “Hey guys. I looked through the evidence you brought me from the courthouse.”  
They both turn with a small start, and he nearly knocks his coffee off the corner of his desk, and under other circumstances Abby might think it funny that she could finally sneak up on Gibbs.

**Author's Note:**

> So I gave this prompt to a friend, "throne and shackles." And then I realized I was the one who was inspired, and this came out of it. Sorry for stealing that prompt, flootzavut. *sheepish grin*  
> This was posted on Tumblr a while back, and written even longer ago, but I've only just gotten around to posting it.


End file.
